[H2]Patriate the monarchy[/H2]Globe and Mail Editorial The Queen's 80th birthday is an occasion to admire her record as monarch and to wish her long life and happiness. But it is also a time to think about what happens when her reign ends. This paper has long argued that, after her passing, Canada should choose its own head of state.
[!-- /Summary --] Though many Canadians feel great affection for the Queen and the Royal Family, the time has passed when the monarchy was a meaningful part of our national life. Sharing our head of state with a foreign country after 138 years of nationhood is an anachronism, not fitting with our present reality as a modern, multicultural country.
There is no need to declare a republic. The Governor-General could be chosen in some novel, Canadian way -- perhaps, as suggested here before, by the Companions of the Order of Canada. Whatever the method, he or she, not a British monarch, should be our next head of state.